Simply Spanish On Spain's National Day last week, tucked into a simple and naturally flavourful meal

Simply Spanish

On Spain's National Day last week, tucked into a simple and naturally flavourful meal

Spanish omelette

At a buffet to mark the Spanish National Day at The Leela in Andheri, Mumbai, each dish had one ingredient that stood out — the tomatoes in the chilled gazpacho (tomato soup), the vinegar in the marinated anchovies, the fluffy potatoes in the Spanish omelette (the size of a naan, it was made with 30 eggs), and the black rice in the paella with chicken and prawns.
"It is just about the ingredients," avers Sergi Millet, head chef at Mas Rabell, the estate restaurant at the Torres vineyard in Catalonia, Spain, whose colourful printed pants add a touch of colour to an otherwise spotless white uniform.
Spain is surrounded by water on three sides, giving rise to a veritable treasure trove of seafood. In honour of this, Chef Millet prepared a puffed pastry with tuna, artichoke and crab salad with lemon and mustard vinaigrette. The only dish that might not appeal to an Indian palate was the undercooked shellfish salad with prawns and scallops.
Stew is usually a part of any Spanish meal, cooked with onions (sometimes caramelised) and pepper. "These dishes come from the fishermen. They just cook the fresh catch of the day with potatoes and onions for a wholesome meal," says Chef Millet. His tuna stew was lightly cooked with a thin gravy making the flavour of the onions stand out.
Onions along with tomatoes, pepper, garlic and olive oil form the basic ingredients of Spanish dishes. For something special, Chef Millet prepared 'chicken skewers al ajillo', a grilled garlic chicken with romesco sauce and asparagus, a popular tapas served with drinks. The chicken was drizzled with garlic oil and chilli, and the romesco sauce, made with almonds, breadcrumbs, roasted tomatoes, garlic and pepper had a crunchy texture.
But the star of the meal was the dessert. The Spanish version of the French crème brulee, the crème Catalan was a light mixture of custard, egg and milk that melted in the mouth. The churros (fried dough pastry) were meltingly soft and could be eaten sans the chocolate with which it was served.